As deadline approaches, Chicago's Amazon pursuit only beginning

As Chicago bids for Amazon's HQ2, and its 50,000 jobs, developers have offered up reimagined visions for at least four sites in the city. See their plans here. (UPDATE: The city and state have named the sites offered as Amazon HQ2 options. See them here.)

Two days after submitting a bid for Amazon’s 50,000-job second headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Chicago is bracing for a multistep competition against cities throughout North America that is likely to extend into 2018.

Emanuel and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner announced Monday that the Chicago area’s Amazon proposal had been submitted. They have not revealed any details of the bid, but during a meeting Wednesday with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Emanuel said he was optimistic about the city’s chances of landing one of the most competitive headquarters deals in decades.

Seattle-based Amazon’s Sept. 7 announcement that it sought a city for a second headquarters, one that could accommodate up to 50,000 high-paying jobs over the next decade and a half, started a scramble in cities of all sizes. New Jersey has said it is offering $7 billion in state and city incentives to bring HQ2 to Newark.

Emanuel declined to elaborate on the local bid Wednesday, other than to say about “eight to 10 sites” were under consideration.

“They may want to go horizontal, a la Merchandise Mart,” Emanuel said. “And they may want to go vertical multiple places, all on a tight footprint. My big point to them is, anything you want, in any shape or form, we can do.”

Developers of four Chicago sites have confirmed to the Tribune that they plan to court Amazon. Those sites are Lincoln Yards, the planned redevelopment of the former A. Finkl & Sons steel plant and other North Side land along the Chicago River; the former old main post office at the river and Congress Parkway; land owned by Tribune Media along the Chicago River and Halsted Avenue, north of downtown; and the former Michael Reese Hospital site and other land in Bronzeville.

“There’s a financial incentive package that the state, the city and the county worked together on,” said Emanuel, who declined to specify the value of the incentives. “(Amazon’s) biggest thing is, can you be ready on day one for us to be ready on day one?”

“Which city’s better prepared to give you 5,000 new workers on day one? Chicago,” Emanuel added. “Which city is better connected with more flights to Seattle, where the other headquarters is? Chicago. Which city has the broadband network of the United States underneath it? Chicago. Which city doesn’t have weather problems, hurricanes and earthquakes, and (has) cheaper utility rates of any other city? Chicago. That is a huge advantage.”

Chicago officials expect “a winnowing process” in which Amazon will narrow the list of prospective cities for HQ2 multiple times before picking a winner, Emanuel said.

The mayor expressed optimism that Chicago stacks up well against other cities and differentiates itself from Amazon’s headquarters city, Seattle, which Amazon has outgrown.

A rising cost of living, skyrocketing housing prices and homelessness have been, in part, attributed to Amazon’s rapid expansion in the Pacific Northwest. Amazon also has 8,000 unfilled positions in Seattle, as the company struggles to find room for growth, Emanuel said.

“The biggest competitor we have right now is, ‘What is inadequate about Seattle?’” Emanuel said. “That’s how we’re going to first get measured, not just against Dallas, Denver, Boston, Atlanta, (Washington) D.C. We’re going to be measured against, why is it that they’re even looking for a second headquarters?”

Chicago’s livability, large population, central location, universities, airports, public transportation and availability of land align with Amazon’s stated preferences for a second headquarters city, he said.

Amazon will accept bids through Thursday. The company has not said when, or if, it plans to announce which cities it is considering after the deadline passes.